Focus: Big guns turn on Blair

The chairmen of Britains biggest firms will this week fire the opening shots of their campaign against Downing Street. By Andrew Porter

AS Tony Blair opens the door of the Downing Street meeting room on Tuesday, he will breathe a sigh of relief, no doubt hoping the new month will see a return to domestic politics.

Out of the glare of the Hutton inquiry, he will be back on his own turf and talking again about Labour policies rather than journalists and e-mails, outing strategies and spin doctors.

But as he begins the discussion and looks up at the men facing him, he will be in for a rude awakening.

Among those around the table will be the best of corporate Britain. Sir John Bond from HSBC, Britain’s best performing company; Niall FitzGerald, the chairman of Unilever; Lord Blyth, chairman of Diageo; and his counterpart at Glaxo Smith Kline, Sir Christopher Hogg. Lord Browne, chief executive of BP, will be there and is expected to be joined by representatives of Vodafone, Shell,